By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Maris Grove and Ann’s Choice, the two Erickson communities in Pennsylvania, saw a record year in 2007. From January to December, the two retirement  communities located in Philadelphia suburbs settled 578 apartment homes.The number of moves at both communities set company records for sales in a year and shows the Pennsylvania regional housing market is in better shape than other areas of the nation.

A record pace
Ann’s Choice Sales Director Deborah Olcese says the community has approximately 1,100 requests for information and gives almost 200 tours of the community each month to those who are interested in moving there.

“We started the year off strong, and the demand never faded,” Marie Dmoch, retirement counselor at the community, says of their busiest sales year to date. The Bucks County community is officially on record for settling 284 apartment homes in 2007. The number is the highest recorded since the community opened in 2003.

“It seems like more people than ever requested  he free Information Kit, and many followed up with requests for tours of the campus. As soon as people saw the campus and really experienced what Ann’s Choice is all about, they wanted to move in,” Dmoch says.

Good signs
“This really flies in the face of the national media that is saying the whole housing market is in a downturn,” says Beth Wolff, sales director at Maris Grove. “The housing market in other areas of the country may be struggling, but in the Pennsylvania region we’re seeing that the market is strong.”

Wolff explains, “The reason people originally bought their houses in the area years ago is the same reason why the market is still doing well today—people want to live in this region.” Both communities pull many of their customers from Pennsylvania and surrounding states including Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.